source: Apple.com
by Lori Cunningham (@wellconnectdmom)
Sony PlayStation Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PS3-PlayStation Move)
Wow! If your child is a Harry Potter fan, this is a must have video game! Sony’s new Wonderbook series begins with Book of Spells which uses augmented reality technology to add life to a plain book a child has in front of him/her. Book of Spells allows kids to conjure up spells and magical powers in their own family room as seen through the PlayStation Move camera and displayed on TV. Kids will be able to read and practice 20 spells stemming from original content from J.K. Rowling. Always check any video game for ESRB video game ratings.
Wonderbook: Book of Spells retails for $39.99 for the book and game or $79.99 for a bundle pack which includes the book, game, PlayStation Move camera and a PlayStation Move controller.
Nat Geo Kinect (XBOX-Kinect)
Cuddletunes Teddy Bear
Now we’ve seen and owned stuffed animals that play music before, but the Cuddletunes Teddy Bear is by far the most unique musical bear we’ve seen. It comes with a built-in mp3 player that when connected to your free online Culddletunes account, downloads personalized lullabies into the bear. But you can do more than that. You can also record personal messages or add your child’s favorite music. Cuddletunes Teddy Bear is very unique in that it allows anyone to make a recording online to be included in the bear. A great way for grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, even your child’s best friend to record a message that your child can hear again and again. Going away on a business trip? Record a message so your child can hear you every day while you’re gone. Does your child have a favorite book? Record yourself reading the book and s/he can read along with the book even when you’re not there.
Cuddletunes sell for $59.95 at Cuddletunes.com.
Barbie Photo Fashion Doll
Just Dance 4 (PS3, XBOX Kinect, Wii, Wii U)
Just Dance 4 is another great gift for girls. It’s fun, exhilarating, and makes for great memories with family and friends. Dance to great songs like “Love You Like a Love Song,” “Moves Like Jagger,” “Call Me Maybe,” On the Floor,” even some old favorites like “Rock Lobster,” and “Jailhouse Rock.” New songs are available for purchase like “Gangnam Style” to ensure you know the latest dance moves. Just Dance 4 has several different dance modes, like Battle mode which allows you to challenge a friend to six rounds of songs to determine the ultimate winner.
Just Dance 4 sells for $29.99 plus Super Saver Shipping on Amazon.com.
Nat Geo Ultimate Dinopedia App
Got a dinosaur fan in your household? The Nat Geo Ultimate Dinopedia App is the perfect gift for your dino fan. Deemed by New York Times as one of the “Top 10 Best Children’s Books on the iPad”, Nat Geo’s Ultimate Dinopedia reports on over 700 dinosaurs with facts, pictures, and videos to show how dinosaurs lived, hunted, and ate. Every known dinosaur is listed in this app. The Ultimate Dinopedia app includes audio pronunciation, vital stats, and comparison of sizes to other dinosaurs. There is even an interactive family tree which shows how dinosaurs relate to one another.
Nat Geo Ultimate Dinopedia app is available through iTunes for $4.99.
Flex Night- Voice Activated Alarm Clock
OK, who has issues getting their kids to get up in the morning? An alarm clock helps, but when the schedule changes, does your child know how to set it? A good solution is the Flex Night voice-activated alarm clock that understands voice commands to set the time, set alarms, snooze an alarm, alarm sounds, even play soothing music before going to bed. Kids will love setting their own alarm and with it’s 5 inch LED display, it’s easy to see across a room. Flex Night refers to the black color. Flex, which has a white base, will be available in February.
Flex Night is available beginning Dec. 17th from ivee.com for $59.99.
Skylanders Giants (PS3, XBOX, Wii, Nintendo 3DS)
The Skylanders Giants video game ( accompanying characters) is the sequel to Skylanders Spyro Adventure, released earlier this year. Over 30 million Skylanders toys have been sold, breaking Activision’s projections by 2-3 times, according to Wikipedia. Now Skylanders is back with Giants, characters that are larger and stronger than than predecessors. Skylander works by allowing kids to place physical Skylander characters into the physical “portal of power” which transports characters directly into the game. Kids can interchange characters dependent upon the strengths or personality they desire to follow quests. Boys love this game.
A Skylanders Giants Starter Kit sells for $64.99 plus free Super Saver shipping for the Wii at Amazon.com.
Sports Champions 2 (PS3)
EA Sport’s Sports Champions 2 is a fun game to test out your skills in bowling, boxing, skiing, tennis, golf, and archery and works with the PlayStation Move camera and controls. Sports Champions 2 offers kids the opportunity to learn how to play and score in these sports in a fun competitive way. Sure to get your kids off the couch and “into the game,” Sport Champions 2 offers realistic gameplay, competitive games, and lots of challenge. The Sports are fun and using the Move controllers to adjust your character on the TV feels very realistic. During play, the PlayStation Move camera takes shots of the games to replay afterwards.
Sports Champions 2 sells for $34.63 with free Super Saver shipping from Amazon.com.
LeapPad 2
LeapPad 2 is the sequel to the LeapPad tablet from last year. Now it is more improved with a front and rear facing camera, a faster processor, 2 more GB of space (4GB total), and a game library of 325+ game cartridges and downloadable apps. The LeapPad 2 includes five apps including Pet Pad, Cartoon Director, LeapFrog Learning Songs, interactive Art Studio, and a choice from four popular apps to download to the tablet for free. LeapPad 2 is designed for kids ages 3-9 years of age.
LeapPad 2 sells for $99.00 plus free Super Saver shipping from Amazon.com.
Have a tween or teen and need some recommendations? See WellConnectedMom’s gift suggestions on Best Buy’s website, GiftsThatDo.com. What about the best gift for you or other Moms? See our upcoming Top 10 Gadgets for Moms for Christmas article. Know of another great gadget to spread the word about? Leave your suggestion on our Comments section.
* Images taken from the URL’s listed in the description.
** We were given he following items to test out for ourselves: Sports Champions 2, Wonderbook: Book of Spells, Skylanders Giants, Nat Geo Ultimate Dinopedia App, Nat Geo Kinect, Just Dance 4, and a Cuddletunes Teddy Bear.
Are you an over scheduled mom with little time to figure out technology? Or are you a technology guru who loves sharing tips with others?
We cover different ways to make technology work for you without spending hours researching & learning how to do it on your own.
So many cool things…aside from the games, I am really interested in the Nat Geo Ultimate Dinopedia App!